The DragonFly is so versatile. It will work as a Compact stove and as a regular cooking stove. some of the stoves out there are for fast heating, but they are not good for slow cooking. this stove does both! you can boil water quickly or make a sauce that requires low heat. this stove will take more time to fire-up than a canister stove, but it is well worth the added time. the pouch that the stove parts store in; the base stove, the pump, windscreen and the parts kit; is not much bigger than your two fists together. The MSR DragonFly Stove is one of the best stoves I have ever had!